If there’s a team rising through the ranks this season, it is the Phoenix Mercury. Before the commencement of the 2025 WNBA season, doubts were raised on the efficiency of the Phoenix Mercury post the exit of Diana Tarausi and Brittney Griner. Even Satou Sabally said, “We started out the season, I think, ESPN, all of them, they ranked us really low….. And we’re the underdogs. We have something to prove to ourselves more than others,” after the Game 3 win against the Minnesota Lynx.
Today, the roster holds a 2-1 lead in the Semi-Finals, making them just 1 win away from the Finals. This transforms Game 4 into a must-win for both the Mercury and the Lynx. To ensure that the Phoenix Mercury squad gives its best, the team needs to have all of its players available and in their best condition. Fortunately, that is expected to be the case.
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Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx: Injury Report
According to the Phoenix Mercury Injury Report, as highlighted by ESPN, there are no injured players listed. This means that all the players on the current roster will be available to put out a better performance in Game 4. Unfortunately, the same situation cannot be said about the Minnesota Lynx, and the worst nightmare has come true at the wrong moment.
According to their injury report, Napheesa Collier has been declared ‘OUT’ of Game 4 due to her left ankle injury. She now joins DiJonai Carrington, who hasn’t played since Game 2 of the Lynx’s first-round series game against the Golden State Valkyries, during which she suffered a season-ending mid-foot sprain.
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Napheesa Collier sustained her injury after Alyssa Thomas swiped the ball from her with 23.8 seconds left in Game 3. Thomas reportedly seemed to have made incidental contact with Collier’s knee, which caused Collier to turn her left ankle. No foul was called on the play.
If that wasn’t all, an angry Reeve got into an argument with a referee, which ultimately led to her ejection after she chased after the official. As of yet, there is no update on how long it will take for the WNBA MVP candidate to recover, but surely it puts the Lynx in a spot as they now face a do-or-die game without their star player.
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Probable Starting Lineups
Phoenix Mercury
Head Coach: Nate Tibbetts
Players:
Alyssa Thomas
Satou Sabally
Natasha Mack
Monique Akoa Makani
Kahleah Copper
Minnesota Lynx
Head Coach: Cheryl Reeve (Suspended. Will be replaced by Eric Thibault).
Players:
Bridget Carleton
Dorka Juhász
Alanna Smith
Kayla McBride
Courtney Williams
Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx: Where to Watch
Game 4 of the Mercury-Lynx Semi-Finals will be held on Sunday, September 28th, at the PHX Arena in Phoenix.
Tip-off time is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Basketball fans can view the game on ESPN or live-stream it from the official WNBA app. It will also be available on Fubo or ESPN+ Unlimited.
Prediction: Can the Minnesota Lynx recover?
The Minnesota Lynx are at a serious disadvantage since their star player is sidelined. Add the fact that Mercury’s head coach, Cheryl Reeve, won’t be there to guide the team, and it only adds more pain to the injury. The Minnesota Lynx did record a 7-4 win record in the 11 regular-season games Collier missed earlier. However, in the Semi-Finals, the stakes are higher.
As Sports Illustrated’s Eva Geitheim highlighted, “The Lynx were the favorites to win the WNBA Finals before the postseason, but the odds are stacked against them heading into Game 4.” Even though the ESPN tracker gives it to the Minnesota Lynx 65+% to 34% for Mercury, the odds aren’t in favor of the Lynx.
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But this is the playoffs, and just like the Mercury were underdogs and still managed to turn the tables, the Lynx too can do the same, starting as ‘not-favorites’ probably first time in any game this season. But who will you be supporting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.